Behavioral Analysis Flashcards
(134 cards)
Joseph Wolpe experiment
Discovered systematic desensitization
- Paired specific sounds and images with electric shocks given to cats
- Cats began equating images/sounds with shock; images/sounds created feeling of fear
- Cats gradually exposed to the same images/sounds accompanied by food instead of shocks
- Eventually “unlearned” their fear
Mary Cover Jones experiment
“Little Peter”
- 3 y/o Peter afraid of rabbits and generalizes fear
- Rabbit is gradually brought closer to Peter, Peter is presented with candy (favorite food)
- Fear subsided and Peter is able to touch rabbit without crying
- Peter hospitalized for 2 months; returns with early level of fear reaction
- Jones develops “desensitization technique”
Desensitization
An emotional response to a negative or aversive stimuli is diminished after repeated exposure to it (doing something so many times that you’re no longer afraid)
Flooding
A person is exposed to the feared stimulus at full intensity for a prolonged period of time until the person is no longer afraid
Efficient but causes discomfort
May be gradual
May be in vivo or imaginal
Law of Effect
Thornedike
A person makes a number of responses to a situation and at least one leads to a satisfying solution
The connection of that particular response to the pleasing solution “stamps in” the response
If an action receives an award, that action becomes stamped in the mind
Thornedike’s experiment
Hungry cat put in puzzle box, fish placed just outside box
Cat could escape by stepping on a pedal that released the latch
Cat tries to squeeze through slats of box, biting slats
Eventually accidentally steps on pedal which opens door and cat gets the fish
This is repeated with the same cat and as the trials progressed, the cat takes less time to open the door
Skinner’s 3-Term Contingency
A > B > C
Antecedent > Behavior > Consequence
Operant Behavior Contingency
S > R > S^R or S^P
Stimulus (A) > Response (B) > Reinforcement or Punishment (C)
Operant Behavior
Behavior influenced by consequences
Respondent Behavior
Behavior influenced by reflexes
Operant Conditioning
Antecedent sets the occasion for the response; involves the manipulation of consequences
Ex. “Sit” > dog sits > gets treat; sitting increases in the future if the dog gets a treat (the consequence shapes the behavior)
Difference between respondent and operant conditioning
Respondent involves a stimulus-stimulus pairing, whereas operant involves a response-stimulus pairing
Respondent Conditioning
Pairing a previously neutral stimulus with a stimulus that is unlearned/inborn (Pavlov)
Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB)
Calls for inductive, data-driven approaches to establishing functional relations between antecedents (stimuli) and behaviors
Goal: Experimentally identify, describe, and refine principles of behavior
Difference between EAB and ABA
ABA is looking at socially significant behavior, whereas EAB is simply looking at behavior
Radical Behaviorism
Considers covert behaviors (inside the skin) to be behavior
Methodological Behaviorism
Only considers observable behaviors
Difference between radical and methodological behaviorism
Methodological behaviorism says that the mind should be ignored because its processes can’t be seen, whereas radical behaviorism takes inner states (thoughts, emotions, etc.) into account
Ontogeny
The responses learned by consequences that occur throughout an organism’s life
Learned after birth
Phylogeny
Behaviors acquired by an organism/species during the course of evolution as a result of contingencies of survival
Born with
Free Operants
Behaviors that can be emitted at any time
Discrete
Once it occurs is may be available to occur again without obstacle or delay
Ex. reading
Restricted Operant
Rates of the behavior’s occurence are determined by opportunities to respond
Ex. naming words on a flashcard, answering questions on a test
Function of behavior
What does the organism “get” by its behavior (consequences)
Attention/tangibles
Escape/avoidance
Automatic positive reinforcement (preferred sensory)
Automatic negative reinforcement (sensory escape)
Reciprocal Determinism
Environment, covert behavior (the individual), and overt behavior (gen. behavior) all influence and are influenced by each other
Overt and covert behaviors interact
Ex. a child dislikes going to school so they act out in class; teachers don’t like child because of their behavior which leads to an unfavorable environment for the child